by Jenika Snow
“What?” He swallowed again, and the closer he came the more she saw how raw his emotions were. Tiny droplets of perspiration that hadn’t been there earlier beaded on his forehead. Looking around the barren room, with the broken slats and busted roof, all Kiera could remember was the secrets he had shared about himself, and the sense that their bond had somehow knitted even tighter.
“I love you, Reese, and I should have told you that before you left.” He took another slow, almost hesitant step closer. “Alex told me what you said that day you came to my house, how you cared about me.” Her palms were sweaty, and she rubbed them on her jeans. “Say something, please.” He looked down at the ground, and fear and foreboding slammed into her. This was it, the end of what she had with him. It had been a short, but fast and incredible and a relationship that would she would compare all others to. Not able to look at him as she revealed her emotions, Kiera stared at the ground. “I love you, Reese, and that scares the hell out of me.” She lifted her head to look at him, and a gasp left her when she realized he stood right in front of her. She drew his scent into her lungs and waited with bated breath to hear what his response would be.
For several seconds all he did was stare at her. Then his hand lifted, and he cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
“Look at me.” His words were low. “I thought giving you space and time to think was the right thing to do. I know I don’t deserve you, but I’m a selfish bastard and hung on. It wasn’t until more time passed and I really thought about the two of us together that I found it was good those pictures had come out. You could see me for the person I am—”
She cut him off. “You are deserving of so much more than you give yourself credit for, and for the way I treated you and acted after those pictures came out. Those pictures aren’t true, and the guy in those pictures isn’t who you are. I know that, Reese. My emotions were strong at first, and I didn’t know how to accept what I was seeing, but the love I have for you didn’t let me keep onto those horrible feelings that you and I would not work out. I was scared to death of being ruined by you, because that is exactly what would happen. It wasn’t stupid to let you walk away, but I was so scared of everything.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I hate that your life has been the way it is, but I want to experience so many happy things with you. I want to create memories that bring a smile to your face and push away all the negative ones away.” She was pressed into the hardness of his chest seconds later. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about everything, and how I acted. I hate that I let Andrea get between us like this, but I shouldn’t have let it happen.”
“You’re wrong, Kiera.” She stared into his eyes, about to argue his statement when he started talking again. “I don’t deserve you. I love you, Kiera Sheppard, so fucking much. I can’t breathe without thinking of you, can’t eat or sleep. This time away from you, even if I thought it was what was best, has been hell. I’ve been walking around in this fog, hoping it would pass but knowing in my heart it wouldn’t.” He pulled back and looked down at her, his tears a steady fall down his cheeks, the same as hers. “I know all of this is crazy, that we are young and have years ahead of us.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again the blue of his irises was so vibrant they seemed unreal. “I have never been surer of anything than I am that you are mine, and the fact you want me as much as I want you humbles me, and makes me see hope for my fucked-up life. I will spend the rest of my life proving that I am worthy of your love.”
“No, Reese, your love humbles me, and I will prove to you that I’m worthy of your love.”
His eyes were deep and meaningful, and his words moved through her like a second soul.
He lifted her hand and placed it over his heart. “I now understand what it means to care about someone more than yourself. I know realize the depth of emotion the one person you love creates inside of you.” She felt the same way.
And just like that, in the matter of minutes, all the pain and heartache, all the loneliness and worry, vanished. The world righted itself, and she felt once again whole. He was right. They were young, and everything had moved at lightning speed, but there was no doubt in her mind or her heart that this is exactly where she was meant to be.
Epilogue
One year later
Kiera tightened her hold on the shopping bags and took the stairs up to the small apartment that was five minutes from Ohio State University. They seemed to go on forever, and after a year of trudging up and down them she still wasn’t used to the grueling workout. She juggled the keys and plastic bags of groceries in her hands as she tried to unlock the front door. It swung open a minute later, and Reese stood on the other side in nothing but a pair of sweats. His chest glistened with sweat, and his colorful tattoos that covered his arms stood out in stark contrast to his tanned skin. An involuntary sigh left her at the sight. After things had been worked out a year ago they had spent the whole summer getting to know each other better. There had been so many things she had found out about him, that as mundane as they were, had been extremely important to her. He liked rocky road ice cream, but didn’t eat the almonds. He liked ketchup but hated tomatoes. His favorite song was “In My Life” by The Beatles, and when they made love while that song played and he whispered the lyrics to her, she fell in love with him all over again.
Her parents and Alex had been wary, but supportive of their relationship, and it went a long way in her parents’ eyes that Reese took the time to get to know them. His father, Hugo, had been arrested on an outstanding warrant during the summer and was now facing some serious prison time. Maybe being locked up would help him in the road to recovery? With Hugo out of the picture his mother was now in a recovery program and getting some much needed help. In the past year she had improved drastically, but everyone knew she still had a long road ahead of her. Reese had gone to see her a few times, and when he asked Kiera to go along she didn’t hesitate. Being there for him in every way possible was something she didn’t need to think about.
He pulled her inside and slammed the door shut behind him. The look on his face was one she was all too familiar with. It was feral and heated and told her Reese wanted one thing from her.
Without breaking his stare she said, “I see you’ve been working out.” Kiera let the bags drop to the floor without taking her eyes off him.
He took a predatory step toward her. “I have.” He held a towel in his hand, one she hadn’t noticed before now, and dragged it over his face and down his chest. It should have been illegal for a guy to look that good without a shirt on. He took another step, and another, until he stood right in front of her. “You know how I get when I’ve been working out, or near you, or even just look at you.” He smirked.
It never failed that every time he worked out he got horny as hell. Maybe it was the adrenalin and testosterone pumping through his veins that made him get so feral? Whatever it was it was hot as hell. “You’re all sweaty.” She meant to say it with disgust, but instead it came out like a breathy moan. Really though, she didn’t care that he was sweaty. It was the good, clean kind, and she wanted all that sweaty, hard flesh pressed against her. He leaned forward and whispered so close to her mouth she felt it all the way to her core.
“You like it when I’m like this.” His tongue came out and ran along her bottom lip. “It reminds you of having sex with me.” He slid his hand down her back and cupped her ass through the thin dress that covered her bottom. “It makes you think of my cock buried deep in your tight little pussy.”
God, the way he talked, like a filthy pervert was so freaking hot she couldn’t stand it. Kiera held onto his shoulders because she feared she’d wilt to the floor.
“Take a shower with me, baby.” He didn’t need to ask twice, especially not since he had already aroused her to the point she couldn’t think clearly. Her pussy was wet, and her nipples stabbed through her dress. Taking her h
and in his, Reese all but dragged her to the bathroom. Their apartment was small, only one bedroom, a small bathroom, and a kitchen and living room that were pretty much the same room. It was old, and the carpet was from the seventies, but it was clean, close to OSU, and in a decent part of Columbus. It was also theirs, and she got to sleep next to Reese every night, so nothing beat that.
She was signed up for her second year at Ohio State, and was thrilled that Reese had signed up as well. When she moved to Columbus for college he had come with her. There was nothing left for him in town, and besides, he wouldn’t have taken no for an answer. Not that she would have told him no, but he was a pretty strong-willed man. Her mom and dad were less than thrilled, as was her brother, but she was an adult and able to make her own decisions. He had gotten a job and looked into taking courses, but the time slipped away and she had been the only one attending. Now, though, he had finally signed up for fall classes, and she couldn’t have been more proud of him.
Kiera moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Have you decided what you’ll be majoring in yet?”
He leaned over and turned on the shower. In a serious voice he said, “Yeah. I think I’ll be a gynecologist.”
Kiera burst out laughing and poked him in the ribs. “You’re such a pig.”
He turned around and slipped the straps of her dress over her shoulders. The material pooled at her feet, and a shiver worked through her body when her bare flesh touched his.
“You do realize you’ll have to look at old lady crotches, right?”
He kissed a path of fire down the side of her face and to her throat.
“Mmm, maybe I’ll just stick with engineering.”
“Good idea.” Kiera closed her eyes and sighed when his big, warm hands covered her breasts. He stilled and pulled back to look down at her. His eyes flicked to her chest then to her eyes as if he was just now realizing she was braless.
“You weren’t wearing a bra today?” She shook her head and gasped when his fingers pinched her nipples simultaneously. “You’re going to drive me fucking insane.” He latched his mouth back onto her throat and murmured, “I’m going to get into so many fights protecting your honor.”
“Who cares about honor when you’re touching me like that?” She groaned when she realized she spoke out loud. His deep chuckle speared right to her clit, and then his hand was between her thighs. He pushed her panties aside and rubbed her clit. “I didn’t mean to say that aloud.” He chuckled again.
“I know, and that’s what makes it so fucking hot.” His mouth was on hers, and then he was pushing her panties down her thighs, stripping out of his sweats, and helping her into the shower. The water was hot, just the way she liked it, and the steam billowed around them. The tile was cold against her back when he pressed her against it and claimed her mouth once more. His tongue stroking over hers, and his fingers teasing her clit right before he slipped them into her body, was a sensory overload.
He murmured against her damp lips, “Does that feel good, baby?”
“You know it does.”
And he did, because the way he played her body was with the same expertise a maestro conducted his orchestra. Over and over he pumped his fingers into her pussy. He moved his thumb along her clit, rubbed that tiny nub until she had to curl her nails into his shoulders and bit her lip to keep from screaming her climax out. Never once did he stop pumping those long, thick digits into her clenching body, not until her high dissipated and she was left standing there wilted and breathless. He pulled his fingers from her and brought the digits—glistening from her juices—to his mouth. He sucked them clean, never once breaking eye contact. He could fuck her with just a look, and that was exactly what he was doing. Without saying anything, Reese gripped her behind her thighs, right under her ass, and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slanted her mouth down on his. Their kiss was hard and demanding and filled with so much passion she wanted him to burn from it. The tip of his cock pressed at the opening of her pussy, and without preamble he pushed inside of her. He was hot and hard and filled every inch of her body. Even a year of having sex with him didn’t stop the pleasure/pain of his large shaft stretching her.
After they moved in together Kiera hadn’t wanted anything between them: secrets, demons, or latex. Reese had gotten tested, and she had gotten on the pill. It had been the best decision she made concerning their sex-life, because feeling his bare skin inside of her was awe-inspiring. Reese held her hips tight as used her body as leverage to thrust into her body. Back and forth he thrust his hips, filling her with his erection then retreating just as quickly.
“Tell me how much you love me.” Whenever they were intimate Reese loved to hear this, but that was okay because Kiera loved to say it.
“I love you more than anything.” The words were broken up. Her breath came in short gasps the harder and faster Reese fucked her. Her breasts rubbed along the hard definition of his chest, and she knew she was only a few short thrust away from coming.
“Look at me.”
Not realizing she had closed her eyes, Kiera looked into his light blue ones.
“I want to watch you come.” And that was all it took. Those words uttered from the man she loved had her coming so hard her head kicked back and hit the tile behind her. Reese slid his hand behind her and cupped the back of her head, then moved his other hand down to cup her ass. He ground himself against her, and three quick pumps later he came inside of her. The guttural groan that left him was primal and animalistic. She untangled her legs from around his waist and slowly slid down the length of his body. He kept hold of her, and after making sure every part of her body was washed, led them to the bed. There he wrapped the blankets around them and held her close.
“Kiera?”
She tilted her head back and looked into his eyes.
“In my life, I’ve never loved anything more than you.” And just like that she fell in love with him all over again.
The End
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Other Books by Jenika Snow:
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